Is #FOAMed good for EM? Plus, a new startup aims to quicken emergency response time with an app for first responders. Catch up on the week's critical reads from around the web, along with commentary by EPM senior editors and practicing physician guests.

Dear Director: I heard that there is a new core measure related to sepsis that will “go live” on October 1st. My hospital VP of quality wants to set up a series of meetings over the next few months to plan for the measure. I feel like we already provide good sepsis care. Do I really need to attend all these meetings?

On May 13, 2015, the Supreme Court of West Virginia (WV) ruled that patients who become addicted to prescription medications can sue doctors and pharmacies for addiction-related damages. This ruling may have significant implications for prescribers of medications with the potential for addiction, including emergency physicians.

Are your nurses dealing with "death anxiety"? Plus, UCLA study shows the patients with familiar primary care doctors end up in the ED less. Catch up on the week's critical reads from around the web, along with commentary by EPM senior editors and practicing physician guests.

Whether they drink it, snort it, inject it or bake it into brownies, those who abuse powdered alcohol are sure to show up at your emergency department. Here’s what you need to know before Palcohol hits the market.

A recent BMJ paper represents the largest prospective study to date aiming to differentiate a traumatic tap from true subarachnoid hemorrhage in ED patients presenting with an acute headache and a GCS of 15. But is it conclusive enough to change practice?

Buried in the 2014 AHA/ACC NSTEMI guidelines is a strong recommendation for EPs to start treating ACS with a quick regimen of high-dose statins. According to the research, this a low risk treatment with a high potential of benefit.

Are more people dying in EDs over the weekend? Plus, the Twittersphere thinks ESPN violated HIPAA over release of NFL athletes July 4th injury. Catch up on the week's critical reads from around the web, along with commentary by EPM senior editors and practicing physician guests.

Oral NSAIDs are a mainstay for the treatment of low back pain, osteoarthritis, and other acute and chronic musculoskeletal complaints. However, concern for side effects like GI bleeding, GI upset, and nephropathy limit their use. Topical NSAIDs can provide many of the same benefits as oral NSAIDs, with potentially fewer risks.

Humeral shaft fractures have long been a diagnostic and treatment conundrum for emergency physicians. Definitive treatment can be highly variable and predictions in the ED seem near impossible. Here’s an illustrated guide to the anatomy, treatments and complications of this common emergency.

Dear Director: A patient complained to our CEO that their EMTALA rights were violated when we transferred them. Now I have to prove to our administration that everyone knows what EMTALA is and is compliant with it. Is there anything I could have done to prevent this situation, or is it just inevitable?

This week's crop of critical reads from around the web, along with commentary by EPM senior editors and practicing physician guests. This week: The aftermath of Independence Day in the ED. Plus, simulation trainings are on the rise.

For one physician group, the question of whether to admit or observe certain patients turned into a fierce legal battle on a national scale. After the testimony of a few key whistleblowers, huge settlements were paid and more litigation is pending.

One of the most memorable scenes in the movie Jerry Maguire is when Tom Cruise comes to Cuba Gooding Jr. in the locker room and gives his desperate “Help me help you” speech. When Gooding finally erupts in laughter and Cruise starts to walk away, the camera pans back to Gooding, who says, “Oh come on Jerry, you think we’re fighting and I think we’re finally talking!.” I’ve tried to reference this scene with my wife when we have been locked in an argument before, but it doesn’t seem to land.